Solidarity with the Peoples of the AES

A series to understand resistance, sovereignty, and the future

We invite you to meet “Voices from the Sahel,” a special series of materials aimed at bringing the stories, struggles, and hopes of the peoples of the Sahel closer to the world. This series presents, through videos, articles, and interviews, the voices of leaders, activists, peasants, youth, and women who today raise the banner of a united and free Africa.

Why the Sahel? The Sahel is much more than a strip of land stretching between the Sahara and sub-Saharan Africa. It is a region shaped by a deep history of resistance, from the anti-colonial struggles of the 19th century to today’s efforts to break the chains of neocolonialism. Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger not only face severe crises — mass displacement, violence, and extreme climate change — but are also leading unprecedented processes to reclaim their sovereignty.

This series shows how centuries of systematic plunder, European-imposed borders, unequal economic treaties, and foreign military bases have prioritized the interests of powers like France and the United States.

But the story doesn’t end there. The materials in “Voices from the Sahel” also take us into the current processes challenging this situation: the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the expulsion of foreign troops, the nationalization of mines and resources, and the creation of sovereign development policies.

At the International Peoples’ Assembly, we believe that to understand the Sahel is also to understand ourselves:

To grasp how imperialist power networks operate, how the peoples of the Global South resist, and how we can weave alliances of international

videos

Sahel: Homeland or Death

Documentary produced by Brasil de Fato

For decades, the countries of the Sahel region in Africa have been targets of colonialism and exploitation by France and other Western powers. Sahel: Homeland or Death explores popular resistance and the new paths of development taken by Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali following civil and military uprisings in recent years. The expression “À bas la Françafrique” reflects the growing sentiment in these countries, whose populations took to the streets en masse to demand the withdrawal of French troops and support their new leaders. Brasil de Fato traveled through the Sahel region for two months and presents, in this documentary, the pillars that underpin “true independence” in this African region. The film explores the popular resistance sustaining the revolution in the three Sahel countries and was produced following extensive coverage of the ongoing social dynamics and geopolitical disputes, after two trips by BdF to the region.

Africa’s sovereignty and the unfinished project of national liberation

Webinar hosted by Pan Africanism Today

On 26 July 2023, the world witnessed the establishment of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP). Following this, we witnessed the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States, which shook the entire continent and ignited the flame of sovereignty, national liberation and a revival of the Pan African struggle. What is the significance of 26 July to Niger today? What does the founding of the AES mean to Niger? Watch webinar with Abdourahamane Oumarou, the President of Urgences Panafricanistes Niger.